07 September,2024 02:17 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
WFI chief Sanjay Singh
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh announced on Saturday that wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia have joined the Congress party, confirming that the political party was behind the wrestlers' protest. Singh stated that the athletes' protest against previous WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was orchestrated by Congress leader Deepender Hooda and his family.
"They joined the Congress, so this proves that they were behind that protest. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was associated with the BJP. I am not associated with any party or person but they still opposed me too... This whole protest was politically motivated," he said.
"This was bound to happen. It is known to the whole country that this entire protest was happening at the behest of Congress and its mastermind was Deepender Hooda, the Hooda family. The foundation of this protest was laid on the day when our Prime Minister praised Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, saying that wrestling is in safe hands," he added.
He further stated that the protest hampered wrestling activities in India, compromising the country's success at the Paris Olympics. "There was no wrestling activity for two years during the Olympic year, which reduced our chances of winning more medals," Singh told reporters.
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"They started the protest and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh distanced himself from wrestling, so the issue should have ended there, but it was politically motivated and Congress was behind it. This entire conspiracy was also hatched because 4-5 wrestling medals were going to come in the Olympics. The protest also affected those medals. There was no wrestling activity for 2 years in the Olympic year, so due to that, we got fewer medals. Our wrestlers were not able to practice... Now these people are not going to have any impact on our wrestling association," the WFI president said.
Earlier, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said that the demonstration was a "conspiracy" by the Congress, led by Bhupinder Hooda. He argued that the Jantar Mantar protest, which began in January 2023, was not a genuine sporting movement.
Phogat and Punia joined Congress just before the Haryana assembly elections, with Phogat running for the Julana constituency and Punia as working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress.
